Ernest Tubb and Ralph Stanley

I was out of town yesterday, so I did not get to mention again that Sunday was the 25th anniversary of the death of Ernest Tubb. He was one of the greats and his influence on country music is still felt today. He is still missed.

On another note, last night I had the opportunity to go see Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. He performed at an outdoor festival park in my area with Donna The Buffalo, of all people. I knew Ralph was experiencing some health issues, so I was even more determined to see him perform. He and his group performed for about an hour and a half, with Ralph singing on half the songs and featuring his group on the other half. He said that he just got out of the hospital yesterday after being there for a week with the flu. He sounded great, although he forgot the words on his song" Oh Death". At age 82, that can be forgiven. He did look frail but his voice was strong. He also played the banjo on 2 songs, which is a treat, as he rarely plays the instrument any more. The show drew about 1,000 people, many of them younger who were there to see the jam bands following him. But, they knew his music and were calling out various song titles for him to sing and he accommadated many of their requests. After the show, I did get a chance to meet him for a few moments. Again, he had a frail look to him and was depending on his crew to direct him where to go. I thanked him for coming to the show, and asked how he was feeling and he said he was feeling ok. After his show, he spent about half an hour at an autograph table, meeting with the fans and signing albums and having photos taken. All in all, it was a great night. With so many of the legends passing away of late, the opportunties will not always to there to see them. Please take the time to go and see a concert or appearance by them if they come to your area. It will be a memory that will stay with you.